If past is prologue, the Winter Olympics’ poor ratings performance should garner Jeff Zucker another promotion.

That’s because Zucker, the CEO of NBC Universal’s television group, has a history of failing up, and the lackluster reception for the Turin Games threatens to destroy what little momentum he established for the Peacock Network’s sagging primetime lineup when it returns to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow night.

Part of NBC’s rationale for spending billions of dollars to secure the broadcast rights to the Olympics through 2012 was to use the games as a promotional platform for its programming, cable networks and film division.

But with ratings down 40 percent from the Salt Lake City games, and Fox’s “American Idol” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” among others, outdrawing the Olympics in head-to-head competition, the promotional benefit appears to be neutralized if not completely eradicated. (Fox is a division of News Corp., which owns The Post.)

“This year’s Olympics have not been the promotional springboard NBC hoped they would be,” said Robert Gutkowski, chairman of sports- and entertainment-focused Marketing Group International. “The [games] don’t appear to have given the shows NBC is promoting an opportunity to find an audience.”

That’s bad news for Zucker and NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly, who recently rejiggered the network’s primetime programming lineup to capitalize on its three-week Olympic lead-in.

Among the programs scheduled to debut beginning tomorrow include new seasons of “The Apprentice,” “Joey” and “Deal or No Deal,” as well as the series premieres of “Conviction,” “Heist” and “Teachers.”

Currently ranked third among major broadcast networks and featuring no top-10 shows, Zucker desperately needs a breakout program to help restore his rapidly fading star. Since establishing himself as a television force at the “Today” show, Zucker has unleashed a string of spectacular failures on television viewers.

Some of the programming missteps sources attributed to Zucker include giving the go-ahead to “LAX,” “Father of the Pride” and “Whoopie,” among others. He also pushed to give Jane Pauley her own talk show and is behind a similar one in development for “Will & Grace” star Megan Mullally.

Industry observers will be closely watching NBC’s primetime performance this Thursday night, television’s most lucrative night and one evening NBC used to rule.

The network in January moved two of its most promising shows, “My Name is Earl” and “The Office,” to Thursday in a bid to regain prominence. And heading into the Olympics, both shows appeared to have the wind at their backs, showing considerable gains in buzz and ratings as a result of the move.

The question now hanging over NBC’s head is whether viewers will tune in once the shows come back – and whether they will do so in droves or in dribbles.

“The problem you have when preempting something for weeks, particularly when it has momentum on its side, is that it’s difficult to regain its stride,” said MediaWeek’s Marc Berman. “It could take time for the audience to find these shows again.”

A spokeswoman for NBC did not return calls and e-mails for comment. peter.lauria@nypost.com